Claims Involving Trees were at Record Levels during 2011
CARY, N.C. – February 20, 2012 - Over the past few years there has been an ever growing need of carriers and independent adjusters to efficiently and accurately resolve claims involving tree and landscape losses. This need has been created, primarily, by the inclusion of tree and landscape damage as a covered loss on both commercial (i.e., golf courses, resort properties, etc.) and home owner’s policies. HMI (www.hmiadvantage.com), the only national supplier of comprehensive claims support services for claims involving tree and landscape losses, has developed a reporting protocol that provides a comprehensive and easy to use solution purposed for resolving these claims.
HMI has a national network of 1,500 arborists and can dispatch a certified arborist to any loss location in the country, who collects field data in accordance with HMI’s protocols. A loss report is then generated, which includes the type and size of tree lost, confirmation that the tree is indeed dead and what the cause of loss was, replacement cost of the tree, location of the tree, photo evidence, estimates for debris removal, and any additional data that may be relevant in order to determine coverage. HMI’s protocols provide the expeditious resolution of tree claims and the service is rendered in a highly cost and time efficient manner.
The benefits of using HMI’s services include:
• HMI covers all 50 states and has 1500 arborists available who can respond quickly in order to expedite the claims process
• HMI’s replacement cost database standardizes plant pricing on a national level, in a manner similar to the Kelley Blue Book
• HMI’s services and report preparation methods diminish exposure to litigation/bad faith claims by providing empirical and supported data in a comprehensive report
• HMI provides an inspection report purposed for insurance claims resolution
• HMI’s database enables HMI to generate replacement costs and claims reports in a time and cost efficient manner
• HMI provides its clients with CE training, at no cost, on adjusting claims involving tree and landscape damage
• HMI’s data and pricing is collected from 100’s of retail nurseries and has never been successfully disputed or challenged.
About HMI
HMI is the only national supplier of comprehensive claims support services for insurers, adjusters and property owners recovering from the loss of landscape trees and shrubs. HMI supports claims across the country involving damage to trees and shrubs from wind, lightning, wildfires, vandalism, accidents, etc. HMI has the only national network of tree care professionals with over 1500 certified arborists and 2500 tree crews ready to serve our clients.
Some of the services HMI offers are: Expert inspection and documentation of the types, sizes and quantity of destroyed and damaged trees and shrubs; Calculation of average replacement costs for destroyed plants; Cause of loss analysis; Removal estimates and services for destroyed plants; Preservation estimates and services for damaged plants; Emergency tree removals and CAT response. For more information, please visit HMI's web site at www.HMIadvantage.com or call (919) 460-5445, ext. 25.
Contact:
Natalie Fussell
919-460-5445 ext. 21
nfussell@HMIadvantage.com
